Liquid-fuel heating apparatus



H. F. RODLER LIQUID FUEL HEATING APPARATUS June 10, 1930.

sheets-sheet 1 Filed "April 23, 1925 N t ml E EL mTmL GQ H/LME/P IPODLEP IVEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

June 10, 1930. H. F. RODLER 1,762,242

LIQUID FUEL HEATING APPARATUS Filed April 23, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2H/LMER E POOLE? I N VEN TOR.

June 10, 1930.

H. F. RODLER LIQUID FUEL HEATING APPARATUS Filed April 23, 192 5 4Sheets-Sheet 5 FIE 1E 15 13 FIE-5 IN VEN TOR.

ff/LME/P 7 R0 DL ER 7 Y B Y A TTORNEY.

Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HILMER I. BODLEIt, OFDAVENI PORT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO CALVIN J. MUMMER'I, OF

WEST NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY LIQUID-FUEL HEATING APPARATUS,

Application filed April 23, 1925. Serial No. 25,348.

My present invention relates to means for preparing liquid fuel, moreespecially oil, for burning and mixing the prepared fuel with the properamount of air for combustion. Among the objects of my invention are toproduce an improved liquid fuel burner; to produce a liquid fuel burnerwhich will function automatically and without failure; to produce animproved device for converting liquid fuel into a combustible mixture;to improve upon the means for supplying fuel to the means formechanically breaking it up; to provide improved means for timing thecontrol valves in a mechanism of the character described; to improveupon prior valve construction; to improve upon the means for mixing airwith the fuel; to provide means for preventing dirt from accumulatingupon the oil nebulizing means; to produce an oil burning heater whichcan be adjusted for different sized furnaces by the exchange of aminimum number of parts; to provide an improved method of producing acombustible gas; to improve upon the method of igniting the fuel in aliquid fuel burner; to improve upon the mode of adjusting the amount ofair admitted to the burning chamber, and such further objects,advantages and capabilities as will hereafter more fully appear and asare inherent in the mechanism disclosed.

My invention further resides in thecombination, construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, whileI have shown therein a preferred embodiment of said invention, I desirethe same to be understood as illustrative only and not as limiting myinvention. In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a pal-thereof,Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2 is a transversesection between the motors, pump and controlling valves substantiallyalong the plane indicated by the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a verticalsection through a combustion chamber, showing -my improved burner inelevation; Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the burnerhead and its immediate driving mechanism;

is an elevation of one of the valves; Fig. 8 1s anelevation of a valvebodyFat a ri ht angle to the elevationshown-in ig. 7 ig.

9 is an expandedview of a valve core and burner head; Fig. 6 is afragthe parts associated therewith; Fig. 9 is a transverse sectionthrough Fig. 9 substantially along the plane indicated b the line 9 9Fig. 10 is an elevation o the part shown at the right in Fig. 9 designedto show .how adjustment between the valves issecured; Fig. 11 is a planview of the casting which supports the lining of the fire box; Fig. 12is an elevation of means whereby adjustment of the draft regulator issecured; Fig. 13 is an elevation at a right angle to Fig. 12; Fig. 14 isa fragmentary sectionthrough the igniting means shown at the right inFig. 3, with the parts in a somewhat different position; and Fig. 15 isan incomplete plan'view, Fig. 16 an edge view and Fig. 17 an inner faceelevation of a fire brick used in building the fire box for a furnace inwhich my oil burner is used.

Referring more in detail to the annexed drawings, a base 1 is providedwith legs 2 whereby it may be secured in place. This base carries anactuating motor .3, a driving motor 4, a burner assembly 5, electricalhigh tension mechanism 6, manual regulating valves 7 and 8, automaticcut-off valves 9 and 10 and a pump 11.

The shaft 12 of the motor 4 is connected by means of a flexible coupling13 with the .rotor of the pump 11 and this is in turn connected by aflexible coupling 14 with the shaft 15 which has mounted thereon a bevelgear 16*(shown in Fig. 4). This bevel gear 16 meshes with acorresponding gear 17 secured to the vertical shaft'18. These gears aremounted in the gear casing 19 which has secured to its upper end abearing casing 20. Secured in the lower part of the gear casing 19 is anadjustable thrust bearing element 21 which may be adjusted by looseningthe set nut 22 and then turning the element 'ing into upper and lowerchambers.

21 until the gears 16 and 17 mesh properly. The nut 22 is then tightenedto place to hold element 21 in its adjusted position.

A well in the bottom of element 21 carries a ball 23 upon which rests ahardened steel pin 24 to serve as a substantially fric-, tionless thrustbearing for the shaft 18. The lower end 25 of said shaft is held fromlateral play by an appropriate anti-friction bearing 26 mounted in theupper end of element 21. A similar anti-friction bearing 27 laterallysupports the central portion of the shaft 18 where it passes through thebottom of the bearing casing 20. Another antifriction bearing laterallysupports the upper portion of the shaft 18 and is mounted in diaphragm29 which divides the bearing calskgland 30 is applied to the lower partof the diaphragm 29 to make a tight joint between the shaft and thediaphragm, in order to substantially prevent the escape of oil from oilchamber 31 in the upper part of the bearing housing. A similar gland 32prevents the escape of oil around the shaft at the top of the casing 20.A nipple 33 is attached to or integral with the wall of the chamber 31so that an oil delivery pipe may be connected thereto for the deliveryof fuel to the said chamber. p

The shaft 18 has a longitudinal aperture 34 extending from its upper enddownwardly to-the central part of chamber 31 and has a lateral opening.35- connecting the longitudinal aperture with the chamber 31. The. upperend of the shaft is screw-threaded at 36 for the reception of thenebulizer head 37. The extreme upper end'of the shaft 18 is providedwith a pair of channels 38 leading from the upper extremity backwardlyso that oil rising through channel 34 and overflowing on the upper endof the shaft will pass downwardly through the grooves 38 into the cup 39in the upper surface of the nebulizer head 37. A guard and air vanecarrier plate 40 having an internally screw-threaded boss 41 is screwedon to the upper end of the shaft 18. This is provided with a pluralityof openings 42 between its middle and. periphery for the entry of airtherethrough' into the space between the plate 40 and a dished plate 43of the nebulizer head. A plurality of air vanes 44 are carried by theunderside of the plate 40 near the outer periphery thereof to throw airout wardly toward a furnace wall when the shaft 18 is rotated. Thedirection of the threading on the upper end of the shaft will bedependent upon the direction of rotation of the shaft, and should besuch that the driving of the shaft by the gearing 16, 17 will have atendency to tighten the head 37 and the plate 40 upon the shaft.

The periphery of the dished plate 43 is ground concave as shown at 45 toform at 1 thrown 0 the upper side of the plate a feather edge 46 fromwhich the fuel will be thrown off in a-very finely divided state, suchas results from the operation of a nebulizer. This is therefore called anebulizer element. Air vanes 47 are preferably integrally formed withthe underside ofthe plate 43 and ex tenddownwardly along the side of thehub of this element, as shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. "Thesevanesare so designed as to give a strong blast of air outwardly andupwardly toward a furnace wall, preferably lined with fire bricks 54,thereby having atendenc to cross the course of the fuel by the nebulizerhead. This results in a strong blaze being directed against the furnacewall throughout its entire periphery. The air vanes 44 are supposed todraw hot air downwardly through the openings 42 and direct it'outwardlytoward the furnace wall to assist the vanes 47 in thoroughly mixing theair and fuel and causing complete combustion.- found, however, that thedevice works quite satisfactorily without the addition'of the plate 40and air vanes 44, but it is believed desirable to make use of this.plate in order to prevent dirt fromgetting into the opening 34 andaccumulating on top of the plate 43.

Mounted on legs 48 inside of the furnace is a skeleton frame 49comprising an inner ring 50, outer ring 51 and spokes 52 connectingthese rings. The outer ring 51 is provided with an upstanding flange 53for retaining in position the special fire bricks 54 which cooperate ina. peculiar manner with the nebulizer head in producing complete com- Ithas been bustion of the fuel. These bricks have upon their inner facesalternate ribs and indenta-' tions which catch and direct upwardly theswirling gases thrown outwardly by the nebulizer head and cause theflames to be directed upwardly in close contact with the inner faces ofthe bricks. While these ribs 55 are not essential to the operation ofthis device, they nevertheless appear to considerably improve itsoperation. These ribs appear also to reverse the direction of whirl ofthe agitated gases, thus causing a more intimate mixture of the air andnebulized oil, resultingin an intense blue flame.

A sheet metal plate 56 rests upon the rings 50 and 51 and the spokes 52and 6 by means of legs 59 and as having an overlapping joint at 60 withthe inner edge of the ring 50. However, by making this joint lap in theopposite direction, the ring 58 can be supported directly by the ring 50and the posts 59 can be omitted in small sizes of apparatus.- At itsinner periphery the ring 58 is provided with an upstanding flange 61notched at its upper edge/as shown at 62.

The lower edge of an air collar 63 rests in stallation required bysubstitution of a mini-- mum number of parts, it not being necessary.

to change either of the motors, the pump, the valves, any of theelectrical equipment, either of the housings, or anything containedthere- In order to adjust the amount of air delivered to the nebulizerhead, the vertically adjustable ring 64 is slidably mounted upon theupper end of the bearing housing 20, this ring being provided with alaterally extending flange 65. \Vhen the ring. is moved upwardly towardthe ring 58 the space through which air is admitted to the air ring 63is reduced, and conversely. Integral with the ring 64 is a socket 66 towhich is rigidly secured a shaft or rod 67 provided with teeth 68 whichmesh with teeth 69 of an actuating mechanism'supported at the side ofthe casing. The rod 67 passes through a guide lug 70 onthe side of thecasing 20 and also through aicorrespondingly siaped opening in thebottom flange of the casin 20. This construction serves to guide andrigidly hold the rod 67 against lateral play and to guide the ring 64 inits vertical movements so that there will be no binding between saidring and the housing 20. A shaft 71 carries the pinion which meshes withthe rack on' red 67 and extends to the outside of the furnace where acrank 72 is rigidly. connected thereto. This. shaft passes throughasector 73 which is preferably slotted as shown at 74.

' Suitable means 75, such as a bolt with a milled or wing nut mountedthereon, serves to hold the crank arm 72 in properly ad justed positionso that the air regulating means 64, 65 will be held in properadjustment with relation to the air collar.

The shaft 76 of the'actuating motor 3 is connected in driving relationwith the connecting member 77 which is in turn connected with the core78 ofvalve 9. A screw 79 passes through slot 80 in the flange 81 of thisconnecting member and serves as means whereby the connecting member andvalve may be adjusted relatively to each other and held in adjustedposition. This adjustment is necessary in order to get exactly theproper time relation between the cycles in the functioning of theapparatus. A washer 82 surrounds the end 83 of the core 78 and ispressed a ainst the body of the valve 9 by a nut 84 w ich is adjusted toa point where the core will fit the body sufliciently tightly to preventleaka e'of fuel between the core and body. The anged nut 85, whichserves as a lock nut, is then screwed down againstthe nut 84 and'holdsthe parts in relatively adjusted position. The flange 86 of core 7 8 isprovided with a-slot corresponding to slot 80 in flange 81, and a screw79 holds thev flanges 85 and 86 in relatively adjusted position so thatthe two valves will operate in properly timed sequence.

Connected with the pump 11 is inlet pipe 90 by means of which the fuelis led to the.

pump. From the pump the fuel passes through a filter 91 and connection92 to the manual valve 7, by means of which the flow of fuel to theautomatic valve 9 can be controlled. The purpose of the manual valve 8is to control the flow of gas to the automatic valve 10 as the flow ofliquid fuel to the valve 9 is controlled by the valve 7. A bypass pipe99 carries the excess oil drawn by the pump and returns it to the sourceof supply.

It will be obvious from Figs. 7 and 8 that theentra-nce and exit portsof the automatic valves are spaced ninety degrees from each other 'andthat the openings into the interior of the cores 78 and 78 are likewisespaced a distance of ninety degrees, on the surface of the core. Theseopenings communicate through the interior of the core so designed toturn the connector 77 through an arc of' one hundred eighty degrees andthen discontinue operation. When the current isagain supplied to thismotor it will turn the connector another one hundred eighty degrees andthen stop. The purpose of this is in order to turn the valve cores intoposition to permit the-flow of fluid therethrough andv to then turn theminto position to stop the flow of the fluid. The complete cycle ofoperation willbe described hereinafter.

Through the bottom of the fire box extends an opening 93, arrangedsubstantially in the direction of a plane tangential to a circle drawnabout the axis of the shaft 18. This arrangement is chosen in order thatthe air driven toward the outer wall of the fire box shall not be.driven outwardly and downwardly through the opening 93. Extendingupwardly to this opening is a gas pipe 94 having a nozzle 95 inproximity to which is a terminal 96 of a high tension circuit one leadof which is shown at 97. This terminal leads from the hi h tensionmechanism 6 upon the base 1. he other terminal from this high tensionapparatus is grounded on the gas pipe. It Wlll therefore appear thatwhen the circuit to the hi h tension aparatus is closed a' spark Will beproduced etweenthe terminal 96 and the nozzle 95.

Operation tor then starts running and closes thecircuit to the hightension mechanism. Shortly thereafter the shaft of the actuating motorwill have caused the opening of the valve 10 which controls theadmission of gas to the nozzle 95. This gas is ignited by the sparkspassing between the nozzle 95 and the terminal 96. Shortly thereafter,the core of valve 9 will have been turned sulficiently so that oil isadmitted through this valve to the chamber 31, passing from thencethrough the openings 35 and 34 to the dished plate 43. In the meantime,the feed circuit to the high tension apparatus has been opened and thatto the driving motor 4 closed,

with the result that the nebulizer head starts at an increasing rate fedto the rotating nebu-- lizer head. The valve 10 remains open for a shortinterval of time after the driving motor 4 begins to operate and whilethe valve 9 is opening. This gives an opportunity for the nebulizer headto produce a combustible mixture in the vicinity of the gas flameissuing from nozzle 95. This combustible mixture is thus ignited and theflame continues even though the gas flame has been extinguished by theclosureof valve 10 caused by the further rotation of the actuating motor3. When this motor has completed its 'cycle of. one hundred eightydegrees rotation, it automatically stops and the partsare reset,automatically, for the next part of the complete operation, with thevalve 9 in completely open position. This takes place when the roomtemperature rises flow of oil can take place. This operation alsoincludes the breaking of the circuit to.

the driving motor 4 which results in stopping the motor, pump andnebulizer head.

It will of course be understood that the specific description. ofstructures and methods set forth above may departed from withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In liquid fuel burning apparatus, a burner head, a vertical, rotaryshaft supportin said head and causin rotation thereof, in combinationwith air driving vanes extending inwardly along the under side of thehead from near the periphery.,

thereof and then downwardly along the shaft, and means to regulate theamount of air supplied to the. air vanes.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a slightly dished platehaving vanes upon the bottom thereof and projecting downwardlytherefrom, a flat cover plate supported adjacent the dished plate butspaced therefrom, said flat plate carrying substantially radial vanesnear its outer periphery and between said two plates,said flat platehaving perforations therein located inwardly with respect to the lastmentioned vanes, and means for supporting and rotating said plates inunison.

3. In an apparatus of the character dc scribed, a substantially verticalrotary shaft, a dished plate secured thereto adjacent to the upper endthereof, in combination with a cover late removably secured to the upperend'of t e shaft and covering the upper surface of the dished plate,said cover plate having a perforation therein and having air vanesexternal thereto near the outer periphery of the cover plate, betweenthe dished plate and the cover plate, to cause a secondary circulationof air between the plates, said air vanes. having their loweredges'spaced slightly from'the dished plate,-

the primary supply of air being furnished from the lower side of thedished plate and the secondary air from between the plates,

the circulation of the secondary air preventing the plates from burningout and assisting in the mixing of, the air and nebulized oil.

scribed, a substantially vertical rotary shaft, a centrally depressedplate'secured directly thereto adjacent the upper end thereof andreceiving oil therefrom, said plate fitting the shaft closely so that noairis permitted to pass between the shaft. and plate, in combinationwith a cover plate removably' secured directly to the upper end of theshaft and covering the upper surface of the dished plate,said platesbeing substantially parallel, said cover plate having air vanes near itsouter periphery between the two plates,

4. In an apparatus of the character dedepending from the upper plate andout of I contact with the lower plate.

5.. In a liquid fuel burning apparatus, a

housing, a fire box located above said housing and having an aperture inthe bottom thereof'overt the housing, a plate arranged adjacent thelower end of-the aperture and adapted to be moved toward and away fromsame, a rod rigidly secured to the plate and extending longitudinally ofthe housing, an

v adjusting shaft adjacent the housing, operative connection'between theshaft and rod; means for rotating the shaft, comprising a lever, andmeans for holding the rotating means'in adjusted position, comprising anadjustable clamp.

my name to this In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe specification.HILMER F. RODLER.

